Solar water heater



Sept. 19, 1944. c. A. RoUTH ErAL 2,358,476

` SOLAR WATER HEATER Filed May 17, 1943 'A1-mams Patented Sept. 19, 1944Clinton A'.

Routh, Robert W. Beuth, and Ottis 0.

Summer, Vero h, Fla.

Application May 17, 194s, semi No. 481,254 (ci. .12s-211) 3 Claims.

This invention appertains to an improvement in solar water heatersgenerally, and more particularly to a type thereof for maintaining asupply of heated water for household and other uses.

An object of the invention is to provide a water heater of thischaracter, which is of an extremely simplified construction andarrangement, and

one that affords a maximum of heat absorption by the water, during itsflow through the heater body to a point of storage and distribution, ina minimum time period of exposure to the rays of the sun.

Another object of the invention has to do with the provision of a solarwater heater, wherein a unitary hollow metal body is formed of two thinmetallicvsheets, preferably copper, with one,oi the sheets shaped toprovide a tortuous or zigzag passageway that takes'the form of asubstantially wide and shallow duct having oppositely i angled runs thatslope upwardly from a water inlet to a water outlet and branchesextending between pairs of adjacent of the runs to divert a portion ofthe ow therethrough for subsequent discharge back into the main ow forits commingling therewith, and the other of the sheets laid over andsecured to the one sheet to enclose the passageway and presenting a atheat transferring surface for exposure to the sun's rays.

are provided with service connections 5 and 6, respectively, theconnectionl 5 for the admission oi' a cold water supply, and' theconnection 6 for the delivery of heated water to a point of storage anddistribution.

The branch, or secondary, channels or ducts 3 connect a lower run, ofthe main channel or duct 2, with the next higher run thereof,substantially as is shown in Figure 1, the purpose of which is to diverta portion of the water flow in a lower y run and discharge it back intothe main flow With these and other objects and advantages in view, theinvention resides in the certain new and useful combination,construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, set forth in the appended claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a horizontal section through the heater unit and itssupport, in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse section on line 2-2 ofFigure l; and, Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectionaldetail on line -3-3 of Figure 1 showingthe manner of assembly of theparts.

Referring to the drawing, the-embodiment of the invention, as it isexemplified therein, is comprised in a substantially ilat hollowmetallic body, of sheet metal, preferably copper, formed of twosuperimposed sheets I and I3. 'Ihe lower sheet I is shapedv to provide amain tortuous channel or duct 2 having oppositely angled runs slopingupwardly and merging one into the other through rounded portions 4, thusforming a continuous and unobstructed passageway extending parallelinlet and outlet runs 2a and 2b, respectively. The free ends of theinlet and outlet runs 2a, 2b,

through the higher run, thus increasing the heat transference to thewater ow from the exposed surface of the heater body; the branch orsecondary channels or ducts 3 being arranged to discharge watertherefrom at points in proximity to the rounded portions 4, at one sideof the heater body, to obtain an ejector 'eiect that materiallyincreases the upward ow of the water through the main channels or ducts2. The main channel or duct 2 is' preferably made substantially greaterinwidthI than that o f the branch or secondary channels or ducts 3, forinstance,l the width of the channel or duct 2 is twice that of l thebranch or secondary channels 3, and all of the same shallow depth, e.g., one-eighth of an inch for purposes of the present description, it issuggested that the width of the main channel or duct 2 be two (2)inches, and that of the branch or secondary channels or ducts 3, one (1)inch.

In' assembly, the lower plate or'sheet I is secured to a wooden base I2with nails or screws, preferably of copper, which are uniformly spaced-along a flange l, anguiarly bent 'outward from the end and side edgesof the plate or sheet and, also, at points between the several runs ofthe main and branch channels or ducts 2, 3, to prep vent any twisting orswelling of the metal under water pressure. The lower plate or sheet Iis backed, as at I0, with a sheet of tin foil, or other reflectingmaterial, with the reecting surface uppermost. This reflector I0 isinterposed between the plate or sheet I and the base I2 and is securedin place by the aforesaid nails or screws, along with the plate orsheet. The upper plate or sheet I3 is laid over the channeled side ofthe lower plate or sheet I and is secured thereto at its end and sideedges by rivets I4 and, also, by

continuous soldering, as at I5, along all lines of contact with theplate or sheet I .and the side and end walls of the channels or ducts 2,3. The unit, as thus constructed and'arranged, `is preferably enclosedwithin a frame, preferably 'of metal, i

such as copper, to the under side of which the base I2 is secured. Thisframe It has its upper open side closed by a pane or sheet of atransparent material, i1 that is mounted in a sashlike frame i8detachably fastened to the frame It by means ot screws or the like I9.The spacing of the transparency I1 above the upper side of the heaterbody is'preferably slight, say, about two (2) inches.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim is:

l. In a solar water heater, a thin, substantially.

said inlet and outlet runs, the meeting ends of said runs beinginterconnected by rounded portions, said body being provided withbranchpassageways connecting adjacent of the intermediate runs to divert aportion of the water ilow in a lower run and discharge it into the nexthigher run ata point adjacent a rounded portion of the main passageway.

2. The invention as in claim l, with said main passageway and saidbranch passageways being substantially rectangular in cross section.

3. The invention as in claim l, with said branch passageways having across sectional area substantially less than that of said main pas- 15sageway.

CLINTON A. ROUTH. ROBERT W. ROUTH. OTTIS O. SUMMER. Y

